Hacking Mr. CEO (Billionaire Heists #3) by Anna Hackett

He picked Pac-Man.

“Let’s rumble,” she said.

They played the next game, trading good-natured barbs.

God, he was having fun with a woman at an arcade. Zane and Liam would lose it, laughing.

Mav won the second game. That’s when he learned that Remi pouted when she lost.

“Okay.” She grabbed his hand. “I know what we’ll play next.”

He felt tingles up his arm, and entwined their fingers.

She stilled. He saw her nails were painted a sparkly red. “Lead on and prepare to go down, angel.”

Golden-brown eyes met his gaze.

She cleared her throat and broke the connection.

She tried to pull free, but he held tight. Giving up, she led them to an old-fashioned, pinball machine.

“Old school,” he said.

“Think you can handle it?” She cocked a hip, sassy as ever.

“Yes. Let’s up the ante.”

She shot him a wary look.

“A bet,” he said. “If you win, what do you want?”

She scanned around. “Hot dog and fries at the restaurant.”

He grimaced. “The food here might kill you.”

She grinned. “Your billionaire is showing.”

“Fine, a hot dog it is.”

“And if you win? Which you won’t, what do you want?”

He gave her a slow smile. Her gaze locked on his mouth. “A kiss.”

“What?” Her gaze flicked up.

“A proper kiss. With tongue.”

She wiped her palms on the jeans.

“Afraid?” he asked.

“No. All right, big guy. Bring it.”

“Ladies first.”

She attacked the pinball machine like a soldier going into battle.

And she was good.

When she finished, her face was flushed. She gave him a curtsy and he was tempted to swat that curvy ass.

Mav took his position at the machine.

He fought hard, but in the end, he lost by a few points.

“Oh yeah, reigning champion.” She pointed to herself. “Right here.”

“Come on, champion.” He took her arm. “I owe you a hot dog.”

“Don’t forget the fries. And a cola.”

Soon they were seated at a table. Mav’s chair was too small, but he liked that their knees kept bumping against each other.

She ate like she gamed—all in, with gusto.

She licked ketchup off her fingers, and Mav felt the action in his cock.

“All right, Remi. Time to talk.”

He hated seeing the light leak out of her, and the tension return. He wanted to hug her.

What? Hell, he didn’t do hugging.

As he wrestled with the very out-of-the-norm feeling, she fiddled with her cup.

“The woman with you at the house, she’s your foster mother?” he asked.

Remi nodded and sighed. “Mama Alma. The most amazing, loving, caring woman in the world. She’s sick. She has a tumor and has six months to live.” Tears welled in Remi’s eyes and she sniffed them back. “The only option is experimental surgery. Expensive experimental surgery.”

Crap. She’d told him the truth.

“I panicked. I put my name on a black-hat board on the dark web. They contacted me.”

“They?”

“I think it’s actually a he. Calls himself The Shadow. I’ve no idea if it is a him, or a her, or a they. He didn’t share a real name.”

“And he asked for the Calix Project directly?”

She nodded. “He gave me a week. I have four days left. Or three and a bit.”

Damn. Mav sat back in his chair.

Remi blew out a breath. “Maverick—”

He felt a jolt. It was the first time she’d used his name, and he liked hearing it.

“He contacted me after I saw you today,” she said.

“And?”

“It gets worse,” she whispered.

He reached across the table and took her hand. She visibly started, and stared at their entwined fingers.

“Why are you being so nice to me?” she asked.

“Well, I could tell you that I’m a nice guy, but I’m not really. People say I’m mean, grumpy, and antisocial.”

She gave him a faint smile. “No, really?”

“Stow the sarcasm, angel.”

Her smile faded. “The Shadow said I can’t back out.” She tapped at the table with one of her colorful nails. “God, Maverick, they emailed me a photo of my foster siblings walking into school.”

Oh, crap.





7





Nice to Officially Meet You





Remi


Emotions churned inside me—despair and worry leading the way.

Oh, and I was holding hands with a billionaire.

I couldn’t make myself let go. He was so big, solid.

He made me feel safe.

His dark gaze was on mine. “I’ll pay you twice as much to help me catch The Shadow,” he said.

I blinked. “Say what?”

“You string him along while working behind the scenes with me to catch him. I’ll give you two million dollars, your foster mother can get her surgery, and I’ll also put a security guy in front of your home. Don’t worry. It’ll be someone discreet. No one will know why he’s there.”